Following our webinar on the suite of Sinch Verification products late last year, we caught up with Magnus Lundstedt, Verification Product Manager at Sinch, for a quick Q&A session on Sinch Verification and how easy it is to get started ! Here’s how the conversation went down... , Q: , What are the advantage, s, of using SMS Verification products over a normal SMS service, ?, , Normal SMS API service focuses only on delivery rates. Sinch SMS Verification focuses not only on delivery, but also on receiving the correct OTP code back. When we get that data back with a reporting API, we get real time statistics which enables us to monitor and then push traffic through the most appropriate route to maximize speed – ensuring OTP codes are delivered as quickly as possible…, Q: , What verification method should I use in my application?, , You should use all available verification methods in order to optimize conversion rates and secure a good user experience. We recommend using SMS Verification as the primary verification method if you’re using iOS and Flash Call Verification for Android – we can also support both for web applications. , Q: , What countries is verification available in? , , Sinch Verification products are available all over the world except in very few countries such as Antarctica or North Korea. , Q: , Should , I, integrate , verification, , using SDK or REST API, ?, , We recommend integrating using the REST API – it’s very straightforward and is supported by great documentation on the Sinch Developers website . Our SDK’s are great to use for testing, but for production purposes we would recommend using our REST API for security and performance. Adding a Callback API will also help with reporting. , Q: , Is , verification, hard to integrate? , What , does the REST API look like?, , Sinch Verification is very simple to integrate. If your current solution is REST API based it’s easy to drop in the Sinch verification product as a replacement. Here’s a quick example of what requesting and reporting a Flash Call verification looks like: , Request, , curl --user APPLICATION_KEY:APPLICATION_SECRET https://verificationapi-v1.sinch.com/verification/v1/verifications -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data "{'identity':{'type':'number','endpoint':'+1555123123'},'method':'flashcall'}" , Report, , curl -X PUT --user APPLICATION_KEY:APPLICATION_SECRET https://verificationapi-v1.sinch.com/verification/v1/verifications/id/d41281c6d5094a688371449e33a0a7e6 -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data "{'method': 'flashcall', 'flashcall': {'cli': 'OTPCODE'}}" For more information on the REST API please see our documentation . , Q: , Does Flash Call work on platforms other than Android?, , Flash Call will work on web apps and Android only. The user experience with iOS does not work due to permissions and restrictions on the iOS side. , Q: , How does , F, lash, C, all pricing compare to SMS, pricing, ?, , Flash Call and SMS Verification are priced by country. Flash Call is between 50% - 70% cheaper than SMS in each market, which means you could save up to 2/3 of your verification costs by using Flash Call as your primary verification method. For example, the average saving is over $2,000 per 100k sign ups compared to using SMS Verification. Splitting your Android traffic and using Flash Call can…
Type: Blog Article
Marketing and customer experience leaders are focused on mobile as a critical way to reach customers. And messaging has become the priority for 2020. New research from Sinch shows consumers are ready to embrace new formats and features when sending and receiving text messages. They want messaging options to interact with healthcare professionals, banks, retail and many others. (See datagraphic …
Type: Blog Article
Sinch has agreed to combine with Wavy to advance innovation globally and to build a leading position in next-generation conversational marketing in Latin America and around the world. (You can read more here ). Each company has a people-first culture that powers its success. Sinch’s guiding principle is a belief in delegating responsibilities, not tasks. This is partly based on basic Scandinavian…, Big innovation, bigger dreams , Wavy’s people and culture truly makes this combination a whole that is much larger than the sum of its parts. We are particularly taken by the “move fast and break things” ethos espoused by Wavy’s CEO, Eduardo Henrique, which he picked up during his half-dozen years as a technology leader in Silicon Valley. Under his stewardship, Wavy encourages its self-described company of “nerds” to be…
Type: Blog Article
Michael Ricci is the Master Principal Solutions Architect at Oracle. As a key contributor to Oracle's Digital Marketing Center of Excellence, Ricci works closely with enterprise customers to architect solutions to their complex digital marketing challenges, and unify customer data to deliver true one-to-one personalization across the entire digital customer experience. In this two-part series, we…, Where do you think enterprise marketers should be investing today to prepare for the future of mobile customer experience?, I’m a little bit biased, but fundamentally, I think it’s all about data — and you’re seeing that play out in real time. Marketers more and more are trying to begin to bring together data that used to be in silos — be it a mobile silo, an email silo, a web silo, an analytics silo, so on and so forth. And they’re doing that because what they’re trying to do is understand intimately the behaviors,…, What do you think the biggest hurdles are … be those financial, operational, or even shortcomings of mindset?, I think it all boils down to operational hurdles. And by “operational hurdles,” what I mean is, historically, what’s ended up happening is, marketers have embraced these best-of-breed solutions and they’ve siloed data. So in that sense, they are their own worst enemies. The process of breaking those silos down is tough work. And it requires a different mindset and a partnership with IT. The last…, What would you say are the indicators of companies that are on the path to growth, innovation versus those that aren’t?, We’ve become an internet-centric culture and consumer, if you will. You and I, today, shop on Amazon. We’ve become very reliant on the notion of going, finding the best price, getting that item shipped directly to our doorstep. That’s fundamentally changed the nature of brick-and-mortar retail. Look around you. We’re seeing malls close. We’re seeing brick-and-mortar retailers downsize their…, You mentioned earlier that mobile is a very personal experience: It’s in your pocket; you’re looking at it all day., Can you talk a little bit about the challenges companies face, given that very personal connection? What are the “must dos,” and well as the bright lines companies should not cross?, It’s fascinating to me, working for a company that delivers email, social and mobile experiences. The vast majority of marketers we see don’t have a mobile strategy. They treat mobile as a channel. They treat it almost as an extension of their email messaging program, and they approach it the same way — meaning that the same failed technique that’s been in play with email for eons, which is this…
Type: Blog Article
Michael Ricci is the Master Principal Solutions Architect at Oracle. As a key contributor to Oracle's Digital Marketing Center of Excellence, Ricci works closely with enterprise customers to architect solutions to their complex digital marketing challenges, and unify customer data to deliver true one-to-one personalization across the entire digital customer experience. In this two-part series, we…, Can you talk about how culture plays into digital innovation? What type of organizational culture might support the right approach — or is that the wrong question?, No, it’s a good question. I think that those organizations that have gotten their minds around the need to bring together this data are invariably the ones that are switching onto the notion that mobile’s not just an extension of email; mobile’s not just another messaging channel. Mobile is the future. Mobile’s where consumers are going to transact, and therefore we need a mobile-specific…, In the first part of this interview, , you mentioned the big players like Uber and Amazon. These are brands all of us agree are innovative., Can you think of any companies that surprise you, in a good way, at how they’re using mobile? Maybe brands we don’t immediately think about as mobile innovators. , One of them that I would applaud is Sephora. I think that they’ve done a really, really good job of marshaling data and creating personalized experiences. Also, they’re amazingly bright in how they mine transactional history and behavioral analytics to create personalized relevance. When I think of brands like Sephora, I think they get it. When I think of brands like CVS, and the way in which…, Sinch recently sponsored research that shows consumers say they want to interact with brands on their phones. They want things like alerts about their bank accounts, delivery notifications, message-based prescription refills … but even though they say they want these things, they aren’t using them to that same degree., What do you think accounts for that gap? Is it a consumer adoption problem or an enterprise problem?, I think it’s more of an enterprise problem. The consumer has low tolerance for impersonalized experiences. And the vast majority of enterprises are not using data to create personalized relevance. I think it’s a matter of rethinking mobile, and I think a lot of enterprises are switching on and starting to rethink how they approach mobile and get outside this notion that it’s all about the mobile…, One other finding from the research was that nearly 9 in 10 consumers say they’d rather all messaging takes place in the native phone messaging app, rather than separated out through Messenger, WhatsApp, branded apps, etc., Does that finding surprise you?, No, not at all. Honestly, we live in a complex world — and consumers are in search of simplicity. Many consumers, especially millennials, use that messaging app to communicate with the outside world. Why wouldn’t you want to consolidate it? Why do I need Line and WhatsApp and all the rest of these messaging apps in order to communicate? I think people are looking for more simplicity in their…, I’m going to turn the tables on you and ask you to put yourself in my shoes. What question should I be asking you?, What’s a really hard-hitting question that a leader in customer experience should be asking themselves?, That’s a good question. I guess the question would probably be more in the nature of: Given that we’ve seen all this disruption taking place with brands like the Amazons of the world that are mining all this data, that are succeeding wildly, why aren’t more brands embracing that? I think that’s an interesting question. And the answer, as you can expect, is elegantly simple: This is hard work. It…, What’s a skill that you think customer experience leaders lack today that they should be developing?, Data centricity. When you think about it, invariably customer experience is all about using data smarter. And there’s a lot of people who are CX professionals who don’t have necessary data backgrounds. I think it’s about data and analytics going forward. And the people who understand that and who are able to mine insights from data and use data, marshal it to create these personalized experiences…, Want to find out more about what inspires Ricci? We asked him what book has changed his thinking over the last six months. He says, Digital Transformation,, by Tom Siebel of Siebel Systems, “focuses on this notion of what’s happening from a digital transformation standpoint, what tomorrow looks like.” , Want to learn more about how messaging is reshaping the consumer experience? Read our Mobile Consumer Engagement 2020 report here .
Type: Blog Article
Today we’ve got very exciting news – not just for us, but for all businesses invested in offering the best customer experience possible. We’ve teamed up with Adobe on the new Journey Optimizer platform, making it easier than ever for you to send conversational messaging campaigns to your customers! We're a long-time partner of Adobe, and we’re honored and proud to be involved with this…
Type: Blog Article
At Sinch, we often bring you new and innovative ways to communicate with your customers, but sometimes the biggest wins come from tried and tested strategies you haven’t taken advantage of yet. Whether you’re doing Mobile Marketing, Digital Marketing, or Customer Service, toll-free messaging should be a part of your customer communication strategy. You’ve probably heard that text messaging and…, Informational alerts, Whether it’s a service disruption alert (think internet or power service outage) or a package delivery notification (package has shipped, package has been delivered, etc.), chances are the message was delivered via a toll-free number. This kind of notification keeps customers informed on meaningful, relevant information. It also offers an opportunity for the customer to take further action, like…, Customer surveys, Send a Net Promotor Score (NPS) survey asking customers if they would recommend your brand. Answers will reveal brand promoters or detractors. Using a toll-free number to follow up on survey responses is critical in determining customer satisfaction and engagement., Appointment alerts, Think dentist and doctor appointments or cable and internet set up appointments. These types of alerts help customers plan their day, rescheduling if needed. Missed appointments cost businesses thousands of dollars every year. Toll-free numbers can help stop this revenue loss., Community updates, Use a toll-free number to reach schools or communities with updates on school weather closings, COVID updates, safety announcements, registration deadlines, road or facility closures, and transit alerts., Marketing messages, Use toll-free numbers for promotional offers, coupons, and sales event alerts. Let your customers know about grand openings, remind them of loyalty club perks, or entice them with a customized offer. Remember, though, that it’s important to get opt-ins for marketing content, and any content should be direct marketing, not third-party offers. What should I avoid sending from a toll-free number?…, High-risk financial services, Promotion of high-risk financial services is not allowed on toll-free numbers. This includes payday loans, short-term-high interest loans, auto loans, mortgage loans, student loans, third-party lending programs, gambling, sweepstakes, stock alerts, and cryptocurrency. However, if your content is account-related or is not promoting disallowed content (like a casino promoting a dinner show or an…, “Get rich quick” schemes, This includes content related to or promoting work from home programs, risk investment opportunities, and multi-level marketing., Third-party debt collection, This includes third-party debt collection and consolidation. Examples include debt reduction, debt forgiveness, and credit repair programs., Controlled substances, This includes federally illegal drugs, such as medical marijuana and cannabis dispensaries (even if legal in your state)., SHAFT content, SHAFT stands for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. Examples include pornographic or sexually explicit content, profanity or hate speech, products containing alcohol, content related to guns or other weapons, and tobacco products (including vape, cigars, and smoke/vape shops)., Indirect marketing, Only direct marketing content is allowed on toll-free numbers. Promotions must come directly from the brand, not sent by a third party. Lead generation (selling or sharing customer opt-in data with third parties) is also not allowed. If you text any of the above from your toll-free number, you can expect to have it shut down. How much does it cost to get up and running with a toll-free number…
Type: Blog Article
Over the last 20+ years, we’ve all seen the headlines predicting the demise of SMS messaging. Yet, here we are in May 2021, and SMS is still a powerhouse messaging channel. In many markets, SMS is still the leading Person-to-Person messaging channel. And throughout the world, it remains one of the, if not the , most popular business messaging channels. We're now seeing RCS starting to face…
Type: Blog Article
Mobile messaging is one of many powerful channels that can be employed to nurture your customer relationships. It isn’t for every interaction or use case, but by understanding the best ways to use mobile messaging, you can drastically improve customer loyalty, save time and money, and work more efficiently. Not bad, right? Here are five tips to get started. Compose for your channel When…
Type: Blog Article
Is your brand’s Instagram account full of pre-sales and support requests that your social media manager can’t answer? Do you feel like you’re frustrating customers with slow answers or missing out on easy revenue? Then keep reading! With more than 500 million active users every single day, Instagram has proven itself as a channel with huge business potential. Not convinced? Take a look at these…, So let’s take a quick look at all the great ways the API can benefit your brand: , Direct Messages: Reply to private messages through your existing service platform to provide the right answers quickly and keep your customers happy. Story Mentions: See when a user tags your brand's handle in a story and reply directly. Thank users for the fantastic review and grow loyalty, or delicately handle unhappy users and improve brand perception. Quick replies: Set up to 13 quick…, Want to start using Messenger API for Instagram? Talk to our experts ., We’re looking forward to hearing from you! ,
Type: Blog Article